Applejack and the Honest-to-Goodness Switcheroo
My Little Pony: Applejack and the Honest-to-Goodness Switcheroo, also titled Applejack and the Secret Diary Switcheroo, by G. M. Berrow is the seventh book in a series of chapter books published by Little, Brown and Company and the fifth book in a series starring the main cast. The story involves Applejack writing in a journal in which she vents her brutal honesty. Production The book contains an exclusive giant Enterplay trading card, a My Little Pony Friendship is Magic standee of Applejack. Summary A Sweet Proposal The story opens at Sweet Apple Acres, on the day of the Seventh Annual Pie-Eatin' Extravaganza. The competition comes down to Cranky Doodle Donkey and Mayor Mare, but Cranky is eventually crowned the winner. As the ponies and Matilda congratulate Cranky on his victory, Applejack asks Twilight Sparkle about their friendship journal, wanting to write an entry in it about Cranky. Rarity says the journal is at Carousel Boutique. Before Applejack can fetch the journal, she is approached by Blue Ribbon, the manager of the Best of Equestria Awards. He explains that Sweet Apple Acres has been named a finalist in the Best Orchard in Equestria contest. If the farm wins, it will be named the official, exclusive apple supplier for Canterlot Castle; the grand prize also includes front-row seats at the Equestria Rodeo, tickets to the Hearth's Warming Eve Annual Ball, and a new plot of land for expanding the farm. Blue Ribbon says he'll be back on the following Friday to inspect Sweet Apple Acres for contest purposes and leaves. Applejack resolves to spruce up the farm for Blue Ribbon's return, and her friends offer to help. The Big Announcement After writing in the friendship journal about Cranky Doodle Donkey—and her excitement about winning the Best Orchard in Equestria award—Applejack helps Granny Smith set the Apple family dinner table. Apple Bloom and Big McIntosh are nowhere to be found, and though Granny Smith encourages Applejack to eat, she refuses to do so until the whole family is together. By the time Apple Bloom and Big Mac finally arrive, the food has gotten cold. Applejack sternly scolds them for being late, and the Apple family has dinner together (despite the uneasy atmosphere caused by Applejack's discipline). During the meal, Applejack tells her family about the contest. Later in the evening, Granny Smith takes Applejack up to the attic. Applejack finds Yeehaw, her old cowpony doll from when she was a filly, and Granny Smith gives her an old book that Applejack's mother used to draw pictures in. Granny proposes that Applejack use the book as a personal journal, and Applejack thanks her for the gift. Howdy, Journal The next morning, the Apple family goes to work fixing up Sweet Apple Acres for Blue Ribbon's arrival. Pinkie Pie shows up to help with applebucking and inventory, but she distracts Applejack with her usual Pinkie-like ramblings, and Applejack ends up getting less work done than she had planned. Before falling too far behind schedule, Applejack sends Pinkie home for the day. That evening, Applejack has trouble relaxing. When she fails to take up knitting, she starts writing in her mother's old book. In her first journal entry, she vents about her Pinkie Pie-induced frustrations and soon falls into a relaxing sleep. The next day, Rainbow Dash helps out on the farm. However, Rainbow's approach to applebucking causes all the leaves on the trees to be shaken loose. Applejack would grumble about this—as well as her siblings' shortcomings—in her journal later that night. The following day, Applejack receives help from both Fluttershy and Rarity. Unfortunately, Fluttershy fails to clear out the critters living in Applejack's trees and Rarity becomes too preoccupied with paint stains on her outfit to make an adequate sign for Sweet Apple Acres' cider booth. Applejack's grievances over these developments go in her journal as well. The Switcheroo Later, as Applejack writes in her journal about Twilight, Twilight goes up to her bedroom to talk, prompting Applejack to hide her journal under her bed. On the following Friday morning, Applejack looks over the farm one last time before Blue Ribbon arrives. Looking at the cider booth sign Rarity made, she realizes how awful she had been to her friends over the past week and resolves to thank them for their hard work. As the Apple family waits for Blue Ribbon, Applejack also waits for her friends. Apple Bloom mentions that Rainbow Dash wanted to write in the friendship journal and she gave it to her the previous evening. A nervous Applejack asks Apple Bloom where she found the journal, and Apple Bloom says it was under Applejack's bed. Applejack rushes up to her bedroom and is mortified to discover the friendship journal still there—Apple Bloom had given Applejack's personal journal to Rainbow Dash by mistake! A short while later, Applejack's friends welcome Blue Ribbon to Sweet Apple Acres as he conducts his inspection. As Big McIntosh gives him the grand tour, Applejack approaches her friends and learns they indeed read her journal. Though they are not mad about the things she wrote about them, Applejack apologizes for not being honest—with them or herself. Sweet Apple Success In the end, Sweet Apple Acres wins the Best Orchard in Equestria award; Blue Ribbon had actually been stopping by the farm all week and was inspired by Applejack and her friends' teamwork. Not only had he given Sweet Apple Acres the award, he asked Applejack to write a farming advice column in a magazine. The story ends as Applejack watches various ponies around the orchard share in the joys of farming. Quotes :Cranky Doodle Donkey: Is this over yet? I have things to do! I can't just hang around all day, you know. :Applejack: Of course, champ. Great job today. :Matilda: You won! I'm so proud. :Cranky Doodle Donkey: Enough already with the compliments! I just ate some pie. :Applejack: Well? Tell me why y'all were so late to supper! I was worried sick about y'all! :Apple Bloom: Sorry, Applejack, it's all my fault. After the contest, I asked Big Mac to help fix some broken floorboards in the Cutie Mark Crusaders' clubhouse. :Big McIntosh: Eeyup. :Applejack: And that took all evening? :Apple Bloom: Well... no... after that, the Cutie Mark Crusaders were supposed to have an Alicorn tea party—we all wear wings and horns and drink tea and pretend we are the four princesses of Equestria. I was being Princess Luna! See? And we needed somepony to be Princess Cadance and Big Mac was there, so we asked him if he would and he said— :Big McIntosh: Eeyup. :Applejack: What's this? :Granny Smith: It was your mother's when she was yer age. For a while, the little sugarcube used to carry it around the orchard, drawing pictures of everything in sight! Until she found somethin' else to fascinate her. I think after that she was interested in bird-watching.... :Applejack: But I'm not much of an artist.... :Granny Smith: I know, dear. I thought you could write in there. Writing is good for gettin' thoughts outta the old apple cart before they weigh ya down too much. Trust me, you don't want all that rattlin' around up there. :Pinkie Pie: What's the first ingredient you need if you wish to make an apple pie from scratch? :Applejack: Well, apples fer starters... then flour, sugar, cinnamon... :Pinkie Pie: No, silly, the first step is inventing the UNIVERSE! :Rainbow Dash: At Wonderbolt Academy, where I'' studied, the ponies are split into teams, and then the best pony gets to be in charge. I just think we could get all this done faster if I were the lead pony. :'Applejack': Hate to break it to ya, sugarcube. But I'm pretty sure that Sweet Apple Acres is the one place in Equestria where I am most definitely, undeniably more skilled than you. :'Applejack': Have you convinced ''any of the critters to leave? :Fluttershy: A couple! :Applejack: Our pets do not count, Fluttershy. :Twilight Sparkle: Hey, have you been doing something academic in here... like writing? :Applejack: No! I mean, maybe. How did you know? :Twilight Sparkle: Your quill is on the bed, and it has fresh ink. Were you writing in our journal? :Applejack: Yes! I was. I was writing in a journal. :Applejack: Did y'all read my journal or not?! :Rainbow Dash: Yeah... Well, technically only I'' did... out loud. To them. Whoops. :'Applejack''': Honesty is not just my Element of Harmony, it's the pony I am. When I try to hide it, I just don't feel right. When I was writin' all those nasty things, I wasn't bein' honest with myself. Which is to say, I was bein' a huge jerk and letting my own ambitions get in the way of the most important thing—my friendship with all of you. References